The Definitive Guide - Portland International Beerfest

Portland International Beerfest, July 13-15
North Park Blocks
Friday 4-10pm; Sat noon-10pm; Sun noon - 7pm
$1-$4 for a 4 oz serving (four bucks is rare); $20 buy-in up front (tickets and a glass); five free tickets in the first hour of each day
NO KIDS this year

The Portland International Beerfest is simply the most interesting, most pleasant beer festival of the year. True, there are few local beers--but then, you have several other fests that highlight Beervana. This is, rather, a showcase for the world. The range of beers is enormous, and far broader than is available any other time of year at any single location. It's one of the few fests you can take your friends who "don't like beer" to--because whether it's a mead, a lambic, or a traditional Norse moonshine beer, there's going to be something for everyone. So hit the bank, have a hearty meal, and head to the Pearl.

For the sake of user-friendliness, I've tried to arrange this guide in groups that may attract different kinds of drinkers.

The Old Classics
Oregonians are, somewhat counter-intuitively, less cognizant of world styles than beer geeks elsewhere. It comes from not having to work to find good beer. Well, now's the chance to bone up. There are nearly two dozen world classics at the fest, either landmark standards of the style or well-regarded, established examples.

• German Lagers. Franziskaner Hefe-Weisse - Only had Widmer?; try the original. Another classic is Spaten Oktoberfest, the world's first (brewed originally in 1872). Ever wondered why a lot of beers end in "-ator" (Terminator et. al.)? It's because of Ayinger Celebrator, the world's most famous doppelbock. A kin to porter, schwarzbiers are black lagers, and with their sweet/dry, faintly hoppy palate, they appeal to ale fans. You can try one of the classics, Monchshof. An interesting style of beer that inspired All of those beers are on tap.
  
• British Ales. The pickins are a little thinner from the isles, but there's a nice selection of Samuel Smith's ales, brewed in Yorkshire in the traditional open slate squares. Although the brewery has changed hands, another historic ale is Le Coq Imperial Stout, the original sent to Russia.
  
• Belgium. There are only seven brewing Trappist abbeys in the world, and three are at this year's fest: Rochefort (founded 1595), Westmalle (1836), and Orval (1931). The devilishly strong Duvel is the world standard Belgian strong, and Rodenbach Grand Cru, which was purchased by Palm in 1998, is the classic Flanders red.
• Other Countries. The original pilsner, from Plzen, Czech Republic, is fairly readily available, but it's here too--Pilsner Urquell. I don't know when Poland's Browar Witnica started producing Big Boss Porter, an obscure representative of the Baltic porter style, but it's worth a taster (it was a crowd-pleaser last year).
  

New Classics
There are a few new beers that have become world classics in their own right and are worth seeking out: Traquair House makes a traditional Scottish Ale from the brewery in the oldest house in Scotland. It's a wonderful beer. The "Mad Brewers," microbrewers of 80s vintage, have an amazing winter beer called Stille Nacht (Still Night). Grotten Brown, a Belgian Brown designed by the illustrious Pierre Celis, was called "beer of the year" in 2003 by Michael Jackson. Try a true mild ale--and try it early--with Coniston Bluebird Bitter, a classic British bitter and champion English beer. Recall Hair of the Dog's "Jim" from last year's Winter Ale Fest? A secret ingredient was Maredsous, available this year. De Ranke's Kriek isn't a traditional, spontaneously-fermented beer, but it is regarded as a delicious example of the style (unlike, unfortunately, the commercial Lindeman's, also at this fest.) And although this isn't a classic yet, how can you miss a barleywine aged in a cask of the most famous Islay single malts? JW Lees Harvest Legavulin can't be missed.

Odd Beers
I haven't the faintest idea whether these beers will be sublime, horrible, or neither, but they stand out as unique. In no particular order: Tmsisje GUIDO, a Belgian made with honey and raisins; De La Senn Stouterik, a Belgian sweet stout (?); Eisenbahn Lust is a Brazilian beer made in the methode champonoise (it will sparkle and fizz like champagne); Hitachino, a Japanese brewery specializing in weird beers, is sending XH, a strong Belgian aged in a Shochu cask (a traditional Japanese liquor). Hanssens has mixed mead and gueuze for Mead the Gueuze, which seems like a really crazy idea, but maybe crazy enough to try. They also have a strawberry lambic called Oudbeitje. Two more of note that must be mentioned just for their names: iQhilika African Birds Eye Chili Mead (South Africa), and Haand Bryggeri Norwegian Wood, the traditional Norse Moonshine beer.

Scandinavia
There is apparently a brewing renaissance in Scandinavia, because there are (in addition to the moonshine) five Norwegian and Danish beers: Haand Bryggeri Dark Force (imperial stout), Nøgne-Ø Porter, Nøgne-Ø Imperial Stout, Ølfabrikken Porter, and Mikkeller Beer Geek Breakfast Stout.

The Belgian Bigs
Although a number of Belgians have been brewed for centuries, what really characterizes the country is its love of innovation. In the past, they have been inspired by England and Scotland, and now it's the West Coast. Everything is hoppy and huge. I dunno if they'll be good, but see what Beervana has inspired in Brussels: De Proef Saison Imperiale and La Grande Blanche (imperial wit). De Proef K-O stands for knock-out, and at 10%, it will.

Cheap Drinks
Okay, I know many of you will ultimately look at the price and decide against the Bird's Eye Chili Mead (four tickets) and instead note that the Zatec Bright Lager is a buck. There's nothing wrong with this, but if money becomes your sole guide, you will inevitably miss out. Especially given some of the real jewels at two bucks. No worries: I got your back. Here's the pick of the litter:

• One ticket ($1): Franziskaner Hefe-Weisse, Spaten (Ur Marzen/Oktoberfest and Optimator), Coniston Bluebird Bitter, Monchshof Schwarzbier, Black Boss Porter, Sam Smith's Taddy Porter.
• Two tickets ($2): De Proef Saison Imperiale and Grand Blanche, Maredsous 8, Ayinger Celebrator, Grotten Brown, JW Lees Harvest Legavulin, De La Senn Stouterik, Kerkom Bink Bloesem, Nøgne-Ø Porter, Isle of Skye Wee Beast, Rodenbach Grand Cru.
  

Domestics
There are some pretty interesting domestics here, and I'd normally gush about them. But this may be the last time you see Hitachino XH, so choose wisely. (I recognize that this is tough to do; my beer of the year last year, Ninkasi Believer, is comin' to town. Still.)

Not counting my cheap drinks picks, that's 36 beers--too much for any single trip. I guess I'll have to go twice. I'll update you after I go tomorrow, and do the same in comments.

Cheers!

Catastrophe on I-5

I just spent over an hour stuck in traffic on I-5 between Salem and Portland. It has caused a gauzy fatigue to settle between my ears and jeopardizes my afternoon PIB preview. I'm aiming for this evening, so stay tuned.

PIB - Two Days Away

I hope to have a preview for the year's best event* tomorrow. In the meantime, here's a video I put together of last year's Fest.

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*Accolade now challenged by the Organic Fest, but what's two bests among friends?

Oregon's Influential Ten

Over at Appellation Beer, Stan has started a mini revolt by naming the "Ten Beers That Changed America." It provoked outrage not least for failing to include a single Oregon brewery (for shame!), but also at the sheer impossibility of trying to answer such a question. But what did emerge is that while only a few beers can be said to have real national influence, there are a lot of influential beers in local markets. So then certain bloggers started naming the beers that influenced their region, and--well, I can't resist. Stan constrained himself to the modern era, and I think that's wise. So here's my chronological list of Oregon's influential ten:

Henry Weinhard Private Reserve. It was actually Henry's that set out on the "good beer" path, albeit with a baby step. Still, it primed Oregonians to think that there was such a thing as good beer, and also to think that such a thing must be brewed in Oregon to be good--two of the hallmarks of our current industry.

Cartwright. No one seems to remember what beers Chuck Coury brewed, but they were impressed that he tried at all. Dick Ponzi, Art Larrence, the Widmers, Fred Bowman--these guys had an early example that you could do such a thing. It may even be that the poor quality of Cartwright's beer was an inspiration--early brewers thought, "hell, I can do that."

Terminator Stout. The McMenamins may have been more important to Oregon brewing than any of the bottled beer brewers because they started the culture of pub-going that has become the foundation of the Oregon beer industry. I've selected Termie because it was an example of the bold nature of the early Oregon brewers; as one of their first beers (brewed, I believe, by John Harris) Terminator was the perfect opposite of macro-pilsners.

Widmer Hefeweizen. If the McMenamins went lowbrow, Widmer Hef sparked a highbrown embrace of beer. In the late 80s, one of the "it" experiences was drinking a tall, cloudy orange beer in B. Moloch's downtown (now South Park). It was also the first beer to go "mass" market (I use that term advisedly.) Unfortunately, it sent brewers down the opposite path from the McBrothers, toward the doomed "crossover beers" that were competing with Bartles and Jaymes for mouths that would never grow to love good beer. Influence isn't always benign, and Oregon brewers spent the better part of a decade in the weeds thanks to Hefeweizen.

Full Sail Amber. Another of the intro beers that brought people to good beer. Unlike Widmer Hef, however, Amber was a more robust, challenging beer and the first to introduce Oregonians to the citrus they would later come to love. It no longer seems like such a flavor-packed beer, evidence of how the market has shifted. But back in the day, it was regarded as a burly, delicious beer.

Deschutes Black Butte Porter. Just looking around the brewpubs, you could see that Oregon was poised to love dark ales, but it took Bend's finest to actually muster the courage to sell it in grocery stores. Surprise! Despite being black, it was sweet and approachable, and made it safe to brew dark beers. Stouts and porters are now among the state's most popular styles.

Rogue Smoke. The early period of Oregon brewing was replete with noble (and some ignoble) disasters with additives. Thanks to Ruby Tuesday at McMenamins (now just Ruby), fruit of all kind went into beers (Lemon Lager, oy!). Other types of additives overwhelmed beer and turned off a lot of customers. But Rogue Smoke, a rauchbier, was one of the experimental brews that showed what authentic brewing could be like. It was beers like this that influenced Craig Nicholls and others to experiment with more sophisticated, subtle flavors.

BridgePort IPA. When BridgePort introduced their IPA, it wasn't yet clear to me that the Oregon palate was actually drawn to bitterness. But the amazing success of this beer--it quickly became the brewery's best-seller and supplanted Blue Heron as the flagship--proved the point. I remember hearing a beer novice complain that she didn't like "bitter beers." Instead, she liked IPAs. The tide had turned.

Hair of the Dog Fred. Hair of the Dog had always been a famous brewery among the beer geeks, but the release of Fred created a mini-revolution in brewing. It was Oregon's introduction to the whole "imperial" phenomenon (though as with all HotD beers, Alan Sprints declined to name it by style). It remains the kind of beer that's spoken of in hushed voice. [Ironic fact: Sprints got his professional start at Widmer, brewing Hefeweizen, Fred's opposite.]

Your Favorite Beer. I have to leave one slot open, because I know there are great arguments to be made for beers like BridgePort's Pintail, Saxer Doppelbock, Wild Duck Sasquatch Strong, and any number of beers past and present that brought people into the fold. When I first started writing about beer, brewers would tell me of the beer that "did it" for them. Fred Bowman (co-founder of Portland Brewing) described getting off a boat in Ireland as a young man, walking to the nearest pub, and buying a pint of Guinness. A brewer was born in that moment. And so it is with beer--we all have our sentimental faves, the beers that catalyzed something in us and turned us into beer fans. Which one did it for you? Here's its slot.

Beer's Golden Age

Have you ever noticed that art flourishes in cycles? Pick an art form, and you'll see periods and places where it wells up--movies in the late sixties and early seventies, literature during and immediately following the beats, music in Memphis in the 50s, Detroit in the 60s, New York in the 80s, and Seattle in the 90s. It isn't random.

Art, no matter the form, is always a communication. You have someone making it, and someone appreciating it. The two feed off each other. Art flourishes as the context deepens. The more the appreciators "get" what the artist is doing, the more opportunities the artist has to go on riffs and expand the context.

I bring all of this up because over the weekend, as I was working my way through a sample tray of Double Mountain Brewing's beers (they're that new Hood River brewery founded by Full Sail alums), I realized that the beer I was drinking was only possible because of all the beers that preceded it in the Oregon brewing rennaisance--and because at this moment in time, there are enough people out there drinking good beer to appreciate what the brewers are doing.

I'll do a full review on Double Mountain soon (probably between PIB and the OBF), but here's an example of what I mean. One of their current beers is a kolsch--a fairly standard offering in July. It's the kind of beer you might expect to be in that disposably-drinkable category--tasty after a hot day of windsurfing, but nothing to write home about. No. Double Mountain went all out on it--they used an appropriate yeast strain, giving it that distinctive tart/crisp quality that really defines the style. And then, for good measure, they over-hopped it (I think it was at something like 40 IBUs). Germans would run screaming to the hills with this kind of offense, but the brewers know what they're doing. They have selected a hop schedule that draws out the pre-existing qualities of the style, deepening the crispness and drawing out the dryness of the last note. The hops they chose complement the beer, making it simultaneously both more kolsch-y (though I wouldn't enter it at the GABF) and more appropriate for Oregon drinkers.

I have already talked about their IRA (aka "Ira," as in Glass), which is a Belgian-yeast-based IPA, but it makes an equal case. It doesn't taste radically different from a usual IPA, but there's something going on. The Belgian yeast seems to enclose the bitterness in a gentle pocket. The edges are soft and mature. IPA drinkers would notice that it's a little different, but they would recognize and enjoy it. The brewers at Double Mountain didn't have to add that complexity, but they knew that if they did, some people would appreciate the effort.

It's my guess that the average beer drinkers walking in don't actually have the nomenclature to describe what they're tasting or understand why it tastes that way. But still, they get that it's really good beer (it was five o'clock on a Saturday and there wasn't a free table). Fifteen years ago, there would have been no point to offer the little change-ups Double Mountain includes in their recipes. Who would know the difference? In fact, that contextual vacuity was responsible for the state of beer drinking 25 years ago, when most beer drinkers thought that the variety of beer styles could be expressed in the range at the supermarket--light, dry, or in rare cases, "dark."

Things will change. The market will shift, drinkers will go off to new beverages. Whether that happens in five years or fifty, it's a sure bet. (If it happened in Belgium--and it did--it will surely happen everywhere.) So this is the golden age for beer, the pinnacle of the craft. It's cool, but also a little sad.

Enjoy it while it's here (and hope it lasts fifty years!).

Moment

It is now 7/7/07 at 7:07.*

Nothing's happening.


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*Posted later; Blogger trouble.

No Clever Title Here

So part two of my Best of Portland Brewpubs is live--this one on "best experience" (see below). For me, as long as the beer is adequate (not a low bar, but manageable for most breweries), I go for the ambiance and experience. I rushed to get today's post up because it fits in with a meta-project called "the session," wherein beer bloggers reflect on a pre-selected topic. This happens to fit in, for today's is "atmosphere."

That's all--

Beervana Bests - Best Portland Brewpub Experiences

Let's establish the cred first: Portland is the most breweried city in the world. There are 28 at the moment (not including multiple facilities), and the arrival of Hopworks Urban Brewery and the Green Dragon will bump it to an even thirty by the end of the year. Take that, Munich! And, even though Portland is only the 24th-largest city in America, we consume more craft beer--total, not per capita--than any burg in the land. Take that, San Francisco!

Some visitors to our fair city are aware of this, but confronted with a dilemma: which of these 28 breweries should I visit? It's not actually as easy a question to answer as it sounds. Not all visitors want the same thing. Some want the quintessential Portland experience--the "do in Rome" thing. Others want the best beer. And others, or more likely the in laws of others, want a decent dining experience with a beer so they can say they did a Portland brewpub. The good thing is that, with over two dozen breweries, Portland can meet all needs. So, without further ado, here are my recommendations for best experience. Follow the links for posts on beer and food.

- Best Experience -

There's a reason Portland has so many brewpubs: we like to go out for a pint. And, while the beer is obviously important, the experience is arguably more so. Visit one of these places, and you begin to understand why we do our drinking in public.

Lucky Lab
Almost from the moment it opened, the Lucky Lab has felt like the pubby manifestation of Portland's soul. Portland's urban historian helped discribe this when he characterized Portland a river city instead of a coastal city like many along the West Coast. Coastal cities like Seattle and San Francisco are port towns--they look out toward the world. They are more urbane and sophisticated, more worldly. River cities, by comparison, tend to have a more regional orientation; they're parochial and working-class (think Pittsburgh and Cleveland).

Like other river cities, Portland's roots are sweaty and hardworking, and the Lucky Lab reflects this. Unlike so many restored warehouses in the Pearl, spotless and chic, the Lucky Lab, formerly a roofing and sheet metal warehouse, still feels like a warehouse. The floor is scuffed and there are none of those retro steel beams that add character, if not authenticity. But the Lab is thick with authenticity. It has a worn-in feel that invites drinkers in and keeps them coming back. Out back, on a vast patio, picnic tables are dotted with two- and four-legged patrons (true to its name, dogs are welcome outside).

Brewpubs should feel welcoming, and with its vast bar and friendly publicans, it feels like home. If I can only take people to one pub and they are after the "real Portland experience," there's only one pub to take them to. The menu is very skimpy and the beers can be uneven (ask the publican for advice--the porter and IPA are good bets, though), but that doesn't stop this from being Portland's best brewpub experience.

915 S.E. Hawthorne, Mon 11am - 10pm, Tues-Sat 11am - midnight, Sun noon - 10pm, Kids and dogs okay. No smoking except on the patio. [full Beervana review here.]

Amnesia
One of Portland's newer places, Amnesia is on the corner of Beech and Mississippi, in one of the more interesting resurgent Portland neighborhoods. Ten years ago, there were no businesses in this district, and the buildings were boarded up and derelict. But now it has new life, not so much as a gentrified area (though that is happening) but as a "found" one.

The pub reflects the character of the neighborhood in its unpretention. The building is made of corrugated metal, and except that the parking lot in front has been converted to outdoor seating--picnic tables under white tents--you might mistake it for a metal shop. In fact, once you're inside, you see an old sign on its side up near the rafters that reads "Ornamental Iron" and you might still think it's a metal shop.

More than most brewpubs, though, it has a distinctly neighborhood feel. It doesn't seem like a tourist destination, but rather a beloved local fixture. The kitchen consists mainly of an outdoor grill, but the pub gets a lot of mileage out of it. Particularly nice are the sausages. The beer is above average, and the regular ESB is a sure bet. It's a nice place to visit in the summer; you have a first row view of the neighborhood as it passes by just outside the beer garden.

832 N. Beech, Mon 4 - 11pm, Tues - Sat noon - midnight, Sun noon - 10pm; Dogs okay outside. [full Beervana review here.]


Mash Tun
You would not know it by walking in, but the Mash Tun is only a couple years old. It has been so organically incorporated into the old building it inhabits that it feels like it must have been there for decades. Much like Amnesia, it is very much a neighborhood pub, and the vibe is friendly and familiar. (Incidentally, the name comes from a piece of brewing equipment--the large vessel in which the malt steeps in hot water and begins the brewing process.)

The drinking/dining space wraps around a tiny brewery that's visible beyond the attractive bar. There's a patio out back (covered with a sheet of translucent corrugated plastic), with a big beer mural; the walls inside have local art dotting them. And, as if to highlight the ethos of the place, directly in front of the bar is a pool table.

The menu is larger than at many pubs and includes veggie and organic options. It is on the heavy side, and there's not so many fresh, raw vegetables. The beer comes in a standard slate of adequate if not exceptional Northwest ales; start with the Portside IPA and sample the specials. For such a young brewery, they've managed to get a lot right; the Mash Tun is on its way to being one of the best hang-out brewpubs in town.

2204 NE. Alberta, Mon - Fri 4pm - 11pm, Sat - Sun noon - midnight; Seasonal outdoor seating available (with awning); kids and smoking okay. [full Beervana review here.]

Also Worth Visiting
A McMenamins' joint [recommendations here], New Old Lompoc (1612 NW 23rd Portland), Rogue Portland (1339 NW Flanders Portland), Roots (1520 S.E. 7th).

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PHOTOS: Kyle G. Grieser, VJ_Pdx

Inja Belgique

I know from experience as a reader that posts about homebrewed beer are boring--you never will taste the beer being described, so who cares? But I've got an experiment going that's interesting enough to pass along. Inspired by Double Mountain Brewing's IPA, which is made with an unidentified Belgian yeast strain (rave here), I brewed up a similar type of beer. I used a Belgian Strong ale yeast, which I hope is akin to a Duvel strain--imparting not a lot of the usual funk you find in Belgians. I hopped it right good in the boil, but then finished and dry-hopped with Summits. These are a new strain of ultra-alpha hops (18%) that have a wonderful orangey aroma and flavor. My hope is that the quality from the hops will recall the orange characteristic in some Belgians--notably wits and some saisons.

I racked it into a secondary fermenter yesterday and had a wee nip along the way. It's awfully green, so I want to hedge a bit, but it seemed to have turned out like I intended and I have high hopes that it may be something special.

The takeaway is, I guess, that the Summit hops are pretty amazing. I bet we start to see these appear more commonly in commercial beers. If you want to try one that really highlights the hop, go get a sixer of Widmer '07. Okay, I'm done, thanks for the indulgence.

Happy Fourth!

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all Oregon beers are created equally, and that they are endowed by their brewer with certain unalienable qualities, that among these are freshness, maltiness, and the unmistakeable zest of Northwest hops. That to secure these flavors, breweries are instituted throughout Beervana, deriving their just powers from the consent of the drinkers."

Amen.

Ninkasi Has Landed

Last year, I labeled Ninkasi's Believer the best of the year. But for most Portlanders, it has been hard to get a pint. With luck, that will change. This, from the brewery:

Home Sweet Home

Hey there, Believers, we have finally started brewing in our own building! Last week we brewed 440 kegs worth of beer in both breweries to begin our transition. We should be in 272 Van Buren exclusively by July 7. We have beer available for the 4th of July and for Country Fair so hurry up and buy some beer so we can start paying the bills.

It has been an amazing year. We started brewing in Springfield June 20 last year. We started brewing in the new building almost exactly a year later. We brewed almost 3200 kegs of beer and were brewing at the annual rate of 4600 kegs when we maxed out our capacity in Springfield. We open in Eugene with almost three times the capacity we had there.

Look forward to the favorites you have all ready tried and get ready for new beers this Summer. We brewed Tricerahops our Double IPA last week. By late August we will release Goddess a Bavarian Helles and Lady of Avolan, a Munchner Dunkel (Dark German Lager, rich in caramel and chocolate flavor).

For the Harvest we will do a Dortmund lager for Oktoberfest, which in at least one batch will feature fresh hops from the harvest in Willamette Valley.

On that note we are proud to announce that Ninkasi will host the Fresh Hop Tastival in Eugene at our site October 20. Upwards of 25 fresh hop beers from around the state will be on tap. More info will be available soon.

We look forward to a Summer of fun and growth and we thank you for all your support to get us where we are now! Ninkasi pledges to uplift the spirit in the Whit and in Eugene as a whole.

We love Believers!

Emphasis mine. Foyston had some details about this last week, but I didn't get around to posting about it. He adds:

The move into the 14,000 square foot building had been delayed by at least three months, Floyd said, and there was beer to be brewed. "We were beyond thrilled to get permission to occupy-- we need to catch up with orders for Ninkasi Believer and Total Domination IPA, and I know that the Point Blank guys (the craft beer distributing company) are just waiting for product so they can explode into the Portland market. . . ."

The brewery doesn't yet have a tasting room, but you will be able to get a tour and legally buy a pint, though not a growler. Floyd plans to have an actual tasting room later, and he hopes to have a formal brewery- warming perhaps in August. Ninkasi Brewing, 272 Van Buren St., Eugene; 541-344-2739.

If anyone sees Believer on tap somewhere, give me a holler--

New Laurelwood

This just in:

Due to everyone's overwhelming support, we have been able to expand to a bigger, better space! Our new Pub & Brewery will be located at NE 51st and Sandy Blvd., next to the Rheinlander.

The new Laurelwood Public House & Brewery will open sometime this weekend. We can't give you a date (since we don't know) but it will be over this weekend.

I guess I didn't realize this, but apparently the plan was to shift the original into something not quite like a brewpub:

Our original Pub & Brewery at 40th and Sandy will close Tuesday night to re-open in mid-July as Laurelwood Pizza Co. We will still feature antibiotic and hormone-free meats on our pies, organic tomatoes for our sauces and try to incorporate Laurelwood beer into everything we do. Watch for us later this month!

This is good news, as far as I can tell. Although I never got around to reviewing it (I intended to!), the Laurelwood had a lot of virtues, but atmosphere was not among them. I found the current/old site to be extremely loud and chaotic no matter when I went. And there were always scads of kids there--more than most restaurants, let alone brewpubs. That's why I regard this info as welcome news:

We will continue to brew at 40th and Sandy for that pub. Our new location will be a little more adult friendly, but still feature play areas for the kids. You'll have to see the new layout and decide for yourself. Our outside deck might not be open this weekend but next week at the latest.

Maybe the kids will be located away from the table next to me. Not that I'm an old codger who likes to have a beer in relative peace, but--oh wait, I am actually an old codger who likes drinking his beer in peace. I am attracted to the idea of a family environment more than I am attracted to families. So, good.

They will have a couple new beers on tap, which is de rigueur for any new openings. I'll try to get over there sometime in the next couple weeks and do a review.

Craft Beer Month

Governor Kulongoski has declared July Craft Beer Month in Oregon (though rather quietly--aside from an insert in the Oregonian, I can find no evidence of it in the news or on the state website). In anticipation of the busiest month of the year, I'm putting out the first part of my Portland brewpubs review (see below). It's broken into three parts--best beer, best experience, best food--and the thing is just going on forever. So today it's the Best Beer section. Forthcoming sections as they're written.

Summer starts on July 1 in the Northwest, and temperatures are supposed to hit 78. A great day to fire up the grill and crack a cold one. Remember to hoist a toast to the fine brewers who make the best beer on earth. Cheers!

Beervana Bests - Best Portland Brewpubs for Beer

Let's establish the cred first: Portland is the most breweried city in the world. There are 28 at the moment (not including multiple facilities), and the arrival of Hopworks Urban Brewery and the Green Dragon will bump it to an even thirty by the end of the year. Take that, Munich! And, even though Portland is only the 24th-largest city in America, we consume more craft beer--total, not per capita--than any burg in the land. Take that, San Francisco!

Some visitors to our fair city are aware of this, but confronted with a dilemma: which of these 28 breweries should I visit? It's not actually as easy a question to answer as it sounds. Not all visitors want the same thing. Some want the quintessential Portland experience--the "do in Rome" thing. Others want the best beer. And others, or more likely the in laws of others, want a decent dining experience with a beer so they can say they did a Portland brewpub. The good thing is that, with over two dozen breweries, Portland can meet all needs. So, without further ado, here are my recommendations, broken down by category. With luck, you'll find some comments below with further advice.

- Best Beer -

It's Beervana and you want the best pint in town. Sounds reasonable. Try these three places and you won't be disappointed.

Roots Organic
The most innovative brewers in the city operate out of a nondescript space on the edge of the industrial Southeast. From the street, you may not realize that you're looking at a laboratory for some of the most original beers in the country. Inside, at any given moment, fermenters bubble with ingredients not usually found in beers--habenero chiles, heather tips, or coconuts. But don't be fooled, the true herb of choice at Roots is humulus lupulus, and you'll find it in abundance. The beers are always brewed with flair and intention--none are throwaway "goldens" or "wheats."

Co-owners Craig Nicholls and Jason McAdam founded the brewery on the kind of ethos that's fueling the fresh-food movement: organic, fresh, and sustainable. For Nicholls, these are the relatively new digs (Roots opened in 2005), but he has been brewing around the city for over a decade. Over that time, his recipes have become legendary for his use of unexpected botanicals like rose petals, heather, and desert sagebrush.

While not every experiment is successful, the brewery's batting average is freakishly high. They always have something experimental on tap, and it's always worth at least a taster. Of course, if you want a pint of more standard fare, they have that, too--brewed with flair. Regular beers include the flagship Island Red, big, burly, and hoppy, Woody IPA, a pale and ESB, and usually a stout and/or porter.

The pub is a comfy Caribbean-inspired space that's always warm and inviting, even on drizzly January nights. It can get loud during the evenings, but afternoons are tranquil. The place has no kitchen, so the menu is limited. Still, you can get a pretty decent sandwich or a personal pizza--or snacks to accompany your beer. Roots is just around the corner from the Lucky Lab, which makes for an easy two-pub crawl.

1520 S.E. 7th, Mon-Thurs 3-11:30 pm, Fri 3-12:30 am, Sat noon-1 am, Sun noon-9 pm. Kids okay. No smoking. [full Beervana review here.]


New Old Lompoc
When the Old Lompoc first opened, it was situated just slightly beyond civilization on NW 23rd, where the street starts to run into industrialization. It was a hole-in-the-wall tavern, the kind of place guys would hit after work. Actually, in its first incarnation, as a tavern, that's exactly what it was. I mention this history because it shows that with good beer, you can build an empire in Beervana. The New Old Lompoc (it took the "new" when it changed ownership in 2000) expanded in 2003 when it added the Hedge House (3412 SE Division) and again last year when it opened the Fifth Quadrant (3901-B N. Williams).

The beer (the same available at all locations) is muscular. Brewer Jerry Fechter is the John Philip Sousa of brewers--he likes his ales big and brassy (and generally hoppy). Most of his offerings are stronger than 6%, and most are green with hoppiness. But of course, in Oregon, these are part and parcel of the local character. You don't come all the way to Portland to try a wimpy kolsch. Two of the beers are really exceptional: Condor Pale Ale and Sockeye Cream Stout. A cult following exists for the Bald Guy Brown, a heterodox beer for Fechter that features malt and mild hopping. As always, sample seasonals.

Ambiance differs by site, but the food is good at all three locations (nice review here). Perhaps the best is the newest, the Fifth Quadrant, which also has the largest menu. Another cool feature: all three locations have outdoor seating.

1616 NW 23rd; Sun-Thurs 11 am -1 am, Fri-Sat 11 am-2 am; kids okay; no smoking. [full Beervana Fifth Quadrant review here.]


Widmer Gasthaus
Widmer, with its boring flagship Hefeweizen, isn't the first place to spring to mind when Oregonians think of great beer. But here's a little secret: of all the big Portland-area breweries, Widmer alone consistently produces the most funky little offbeat beers. And they're available only at the brewery. Some of these come under the Collaborator banner, others are brewed specially for fests, and still others are the products of brewers who are allowed to follow their bliss.

The pub is located in a groovy section of Portland under a tangle of freeways, just on the edge of Swan Island in the strangely haute Russell Street area. Beers rotate, so check when you arrive. One beer to note, however, is the legendary alt ale that the Brothers thought would be their calling card. It was, sadly, ahead of its time when they introduced it in 1984. If you've had a Hefeweizen and believe you understand the brewery's character, try a pint and re-evaluate.

The restaurant serves very hearty, well-made German dishes--sausage, schnitzel, sauerbraten and spaetzle. If you like German food (and after three years of grad school in Wisconsin, I do!), this is a nice bonus. The ambiance is what you imagine your dad would like--overstuffed booths, lots of wood, Teutonic, manly. Bar seating is also available if you just want to pop in for a pint.

955 N Russell St; Sun-Thurs 11 am-10 pm, Fri-Sat, 11 am-1 am; no smoking.

Also Worth Visiting
BJ's Jantzen Beach (12105 N. Center Ave), Laurelwood (1728 NE 40th Pl.), Full Sail Pilsner Room (RiverPlace - 0307 SW Montgomery), Rogue Ales (1339 NW Flanders).

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PHOTOS: Oregonian [link], VJ-pdx [link]

A Pint for Oden

So here in P-town, we've very excited about the arrival of a long, tall drink of water named Greg Oden. He's the new Shaq, except gracious and cool--which is apt for Portland. Maybe the new Bill Russell. Anyway, as it does when anything special happens, I thought to raise a pint on this occasion, which got me thinking--which pint?

Oden is tall, obviously, also tenacious, smooth, amusing, and smart. Given his sweet nature, nothing particularly hoppy. Still, he's fierce, so nothing mild will do. I wondered about a Duvel-type Belgian strong, which is a lot of strength that goes down easy, but Duvel is a little to frilly for a low-post guy like Oden. I toyed with an old ale--Oden looks like he's 37--but that's a gimmick. It's not far off, stylistically, though. Let's move up the aisle, to where the beers are big and smooth, strong but pleasant, to Scotland, land of the big malt.

There it is: a wee heavy for Greg. Cheers!

Waiting for the Good Food Movement to Hit Brewpubs

Portland is, for its size, a pretty damn good town for food. We have a surfeit of above-average restaurants, and a few that are world-class. Our restaurants are creative and diverse. Of course, we also have the best beer in the world. But the two have yet to collide. Instead, the good food stays in restaurants with a couple-three taps, and the brewpubs serve relatively similar filling, but unspectacular versions of the same menu.*

I have been pondering this as I work on my endless "best brewpubs" post, but it's something that has crossed my mind before. I have this fantasy brewpub idea, and I wish someone would act on it. (Someone with, you know, the time, money, and culinary/zymurgical background. I'm an idea man.)

Imagine a brewery where the beer and menu were co-created, so that each was integral to the other. In my mind, this takes the form of the organic/local food movement, wherein the menu rotates with the seasons. During summer, it would feature more green vegetables and fruit, and be accomodated by drier, lighter, hoppier beers. In the fall, as squashes and pears are coming on, the beers would turn sweet and malty. The chill winter would call for potent beers to go with heartier stews and meats. And so on.

The chef and the brewer would collaborate on meals. I imagine beer would be served in smaller portions--say six or eight ounce glasses--so that patrons could enjoy complementary pours throughout their meal. When I was in Hong Kong, I was delighted to learn that most restaurants offered a jasmine tea like Americans offer water--free, when you sit down. It would be cool to have a very light aperitif to offer diners as they walked in the door--a mild lambic in a small flute, say. Or whatever. Anyway, you see what I'm after.

Many brewers actually got their start in food--Alan Sprints and Craig Nicholls jump to mind--so it's surpising brewpubs devote only 10% of their creative energy to the food. Time that changed, I'd say. Portland needs a world-class brewery-cafe to continue to stay ahead of the curve.

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There's Higgins, true. But while Higgins has an amazing beer list, most of the offerings are in bottle and Belgian. As a restaurant, it's wholly appropriate that they should feature this selection, and shame on Portland's other fine dining for not offering beer menus of this breadth. Still, it's not the same as brewing beer specifically for the food you cook.

Review - Astoria Brewing & Wet Dog Cafe

Note, post updated following a more recent visit.

Brewer: Bolt Minister
144 11th Street
Astoria OR 97103
(503) 325-6975

Mon-Fri, 11am -11pm, Sat 11am-2am. $4 pint, $3.75 glass, $6 for a taster tray. No smoking, kids okay.

Beers: A large range of NW-style ales, with an emphasis on ferocity.

For those of you who may have passed through town before, Astoria Brewing is the renamed Pacific Rim Brewing--though both past and present, the sign most prominent from the Astoria bayfront has been "Wet Dog Cafe." The beers and ambiance have changed, but the amazing view is the same. I stopped in for lunch yesterday and can't offer a full review. I only tried a couple beers, and there were something like eight on tap. With luck, I'll make it back to delightful Astoria soon and update the review.

Whether you're craving a beer or not, it's worth a stop for the view. One wall of the building is a window overlooking the mouth of the Columbia River, where massive ships begin their journey to the Port of Portland. There's outdoor seating for sunny days, but on cloudy, cold ones, you can sit inside and nurse a stout (or bowl of chowder) while watching the play of nature--black clouds on steel water, the angry churn that defines the Oregon Coast.

Beer
What do these names suggest: Bitter Bitch, Kick Ass Stout, Stone Cold Strong Ale. They have a certain muscularity, don't they? Names like that either mean a brewery is overcompensating, or serving notice. In this case, I'm happy to say it's the latter. I tried the Bitter Bitch (a double IPA) and the Kick Ass (an imperial stout). Both were big and aggressive . . . and rather accomplished.

I was slightly worried about the beer based on its murky appearance and lack of head--like a tall glass of unfiltered cider. But the aroma allayed my fear--it was a rich, sticky nose of saturated grapefruit, both fresh and faintly floral. Hops are the central note in this beer, but it isn't painfully bitter. The brewery describes the beer as "quadruple hopped," which while lacking in specificity, suggests a layered approach to hopping that is evident in the flavor and nose. Bitter Bitch, incidentally, won the People's Choice award at this year's Spring Beer Fest.

The stout was a more understated beer and highlighted thick, chocolately malts. It was smooth and creamy and seemed substantial, though I don't recall seeing stats on the alcohol. Much as with the Bitter Bitch, Kick Ass was in perfect balance. That's good, because Astoria is a stout town, if ever there was one. This is a pint that fortifies and warms.

Beer, Updated
I revisited the brewery in March 2009. The Wet Dog had exchanged brewers--Chris Nemlowill went on to found nearby Fort George, and he was replaced by Bolt Minister. A longer update, with a video clip of Bolt speaking about his history is here. From that review, I excerpt these capsule reviews:

• Pumpkin ale. The last bit from fall. The spices have fallen back a bit and the squash is now evident--a good change in my view.
• Bitter Bitch. The flagship ale is over 100 IBUs and is therefore shockingly bitter. The beer was designed to be out of balance--the hops vent out of the glass like strong wasabi--but the locals love it.
  
• Solar Dog. The nose on this beer suggests its Bitter Bitch's little brother, but it deceives. Still quite a bit of bitterness, but the malt is evident underneath, as is a richer, more floral hop flavor.
• Porter. In competition with the kolsch for brewery's best beer. The head was so creamy I asked if it was on nitro. It's both a gentle, sweet porter, but also thick, with a bit of roastiness for depth. "I praise the brown malts," Minister said by way of explanation.
• Strong ale. The final beer before my palate was certifiably shattered, this very dark brown ale was surprisingly smooth and gentle. Abram declared it an old ale, and when I asked Bolt about it later, he said, "well, it's actually an old ale..." (Abram on the case.) Also a great ship-watching beer.

In addition to these, the brewery has a weisse, an ESB, and a stout. I didn't rate out all the beers separately, but none would drop below a B-, and the kolsch and porter were in the B+ / A- range. A very nice line-up.

Food
The menu is impressive. It ranges from the usual pub food into a full offering of seafood. Veggie options are somewhat limited, however. I had a plate of scallops with fries on the side. The fries (steak cut) were great--crispy and not greasy. The scallops, which you can order breaded or sauteed (I went with the latter) were a little rubbery, however. Good scallops have a smooth, even consistency and are about my favorite seafood. Maybe this was an off-day for the cook. They were just switching their menu, too, so possibly things will improve.

Despite this tepid praise, you might stop in for a meal. The prices were moderate for Astoria, and I've been underwhelmed by area restaurants in the past. I wouldn't be surprised if the Wet Dog starts making restaurant short lists in the near future.

Post updated following visit on 3/28/09

Gone

Back Monday evening.

News You Might Be Able to Use

HUB on Tap
Tonight at 6pm, Christian Ettinger and Ben Love will be at Produce Row previewing beer from their not-yet-opened Hopworks Urban Brewery. Have a pint on the patio:

Produce Row
204 S. E. Oak

Beer Contest
Guest on Tap is hosting a contest to win a beer tour of Beervana. Reading a little more closely, I see that they mean the beery region, not this blog.

Starting today, we would like your entries in 100 words or less about your ultimate beer tour in Beervana. Just imagine you and a couple of relatives or guests from out of town are looking to experience the true Beervana of Oregon in one night. Your list has to be able to be completed in one evening (6 hours-from first establishment to last establishment). You must have at least 4 establishments listed. All entries must be received by July 18, 2007 at 5 PM PST. Entries will be judged on originality and theme. Our Judges at Guest on Tap will pick a winner for each Tuesday in July 2007 which will be printed in the column and online. The five winning entries will win $50 gift certificates each from Guest on Tap Sponsors’ establishments. Word count will not include address of establishments when included. All contestants must be 18 years of age and employees of The Portland Tribune and Community Newspapers are excluded from entering. You may enter as many times as you like, but you are only able to win one prize in the contest.

Entrance form here.

PIB Mania Begins
It is weeks away, but you can now get a program for the Portland International Beerfest, formerly the undisputed heavy weight champeen of good-beer beerfests. (Thanks to the Organic fest, the title is now in jeopardy.) Online version here, printed versions around town (Belmont Station and Steinbarts for sure).

Cool Site

I was looking for a decent photo of Roots online (not available, holler if you've got one) and stumbled onto Cyclotram. It is not, properly, a beer blog, but atul666 does post regularly about beer. Here's his [her?] review of the Organic Fest, complete with beer notes (indictating a high geekiness factor) and pics, which I didn't really have. There's also other interesting, non-beer posts like this one about Block 47 in Portland, which the blogger describes:

Right across the street from the convention center, at MLK and Holladay, there's a weird little half-block, landscaped as if it was a park, but unmarked, so you can't be sure whether you're visiting a city park, or trespassing.... It's owned by the PDC, and although it sure looks like a regular park, it's (supposedly) only temporary. As soon as the PDC finds a sufficiently well-heeled crony who wants to build here, poof, no more "park". Or that's the theory, anyway.

So, since I'm still working on the other post, you can go check out this blog.

DeFazio, Homebrew, and a Meta Note

1. I just whipped up a batch of beer that may or may not be known as "Inja Belgique." It is a strong Belgian with Summit hops. Intention: hoppy like an IPA, but with the strength and appearance of a Belgian strong. The Summits, with their orangey notes, may or may not draw out the Belgian yeast. It's really blowing off this morning.

2. Speaking of homebrewing, Peter DeFazio may have a batch of IPA bubbling down the valley. He is not only a homebrewer, but co-chair of the new House Small Brewers Caucus:

The five Oregon members of the U.S. House of Representatives dominate the newly formed 34-member House Small Brewers Caucus, co-chaired by Democrat Peter DeFazio and Republican Greg Walden.

In the world of House caucuses, having co-chairs from the same state delegation is unusual, but, as Walden put it, "Yes, but if you have the best beer, you want the best co-chairs...."

DeFazio has an even stronger connection with the industry; he's a longtime home brewer himself.

"Summers I brew IPA (India Pale Ale)," he said. "And I brew English ales in the winter."

The only brewer on the small brewer caucus? That'd be cool.

3. Finally, I'm working on my long-planned Best Brewpubs in Portland post as a part of my Beervana travel guide. This may slow other posting, but behind the scenes, I'm a busy bee.

Blitz Light Ad

In case anyone has forgotten the dark days before the craft rennaisance, here's a 40-odd-year-old ad from Blitz. Note the tag line and then recall how dire things were. Beer that actually tastes like beer--the novelty!

Text:

When you're headed for fun, you're headed for Blitz
Yes, when you're headed for fun, you're headed for Blitz.
Blitz Weinhard: the light beer with real beer flavor
Blitz Weinhard, from the oldest brewery in the West

What's in a Style?

Let's get the exotica out of the way first. Stouts come from Ireland, having evolved from the porter style that started in Harwood's Pub, London, right? A blogger in London says no, but the argument amounts to semantics:

In his book Stout, Michael Lewis tells that "the earliest use of the word 'stout' clearly referring to a beer beverage appears in a letter of 1677..." Furthermore, Lewis contends that porter originated from stout, and not the other way round.

If further evidence were need that stout was not an Irish offshoot from London porter, beer writer and historian Ron Pattinson (author of the online European Beer Guide) tells me that "all the London brewers whose logs I´ve looked at were brewing beers called 'Stout' well before 1800 ... I'm 100% certain stout originated in London".

(Incidentally, that final period isn't in error--that's how they write in England. But perhaps it doesn't jump off the page at you, aggressively, like it does at me.) Porters came from stouts or stouts came from porters--this seems like it has the makings of an irresolvable Irish-English blood feud.

But from it, Lew Bryson last week composed a nice post on the nature of beer styles, a topic that lends itself to different blood feuds.

Look at the beers called "stout": dry stout, export stout, foreign stout, imperial stout, American-style imperial stout (the GABF just added this one), milk stout, American stout, sweet stout, oatmeal stout, cream stout...

Are we really supposed to keep a straight face while saying these are all variations on a theme? These are all dark ales. But "stouts"? That's like saying the beers in Germany and eastern Europe are all lagers.

By way of illustrating the differences in the way Brits and Americans look at beer styles, Bryson compares the categories used in the British Industry International Awards (nine) against the styles of the GABF (75). (Even better, the 140 styles identified by the World Beer Cup. 140! You've got to distinguish, after all, between "American-Style Lager" and "American-Style Premium Lager.")

Bryson chalks it up to the differences in culture, but I don't think that's it. For one thing, aren't Brits maniacs about categorizing things? And aren't Americans democratic and protestant and above careful parsing, culturally, anyway?

Style fascination doesn't arise from our collective psychology, but reflects our convert's fascination with beer. American brewing is really only 30 years old. Before microbrewers re-energized the ancient art, it was a wholly commercial enterprise and the differences between beers had to do with advertising. Forced to parse between Hamm's and Blitz for generations (the great debate was "tastes great--less filling!"), there was something liberating about knowing that stouts even existed. Never mind that there were 27 styles of stouts. What bliss!

Americans have gotten a little too excited, perhaps. Once it becomes old hat--after 100 GABFs, say--we'll ratchet back on the styles. But culturally, we're still learning about beer, and that means sifting through every detail. So for now we're stuck with trying to learn the subtleties that distinguish a strong ale from a double IPA. It'll pass.

Olympia Beer Commercial

I sort of forgot my earlier fascination with old beer ads when I inadvertently stumbled across one of the old Oly "Artesian" ads. Enjoy!

Review: Organic Beer Fest (2)

Okay then, to the reviews. There are a lot of them, and a friend actually handed me her notes as we were walking out, so there's yet MORE to impart. On availability: you may actually see some of these in pubs around town, so look for them and by all means order a pint if you see one. Great stuff.

(I've organized these into three categories--the sublime, the delightful, and the merely tasty. I personally sampled a dozen beers, and there wasn't a single one I wouldn't recommend.)

Sublime (A)
Despite the innovation and exotica at this fest, if I were asked to cite a "best in show," I'd go for a beer in one of the most modest of styles: Cascade Lakes Organic Bitter. Brewed for the fest, it is a textbook lesson in making a lot of a little. It has a roasty, almost light-roasted coffee aroma and a biscuity malt backbone. The hopping is crisp and rounded. For a beer that only had 4.5% alcohol and 32 IBUs, it had an amazing depth of flavor. I'll admit to be a little ignorant of Cascade Lakes. No more: they caught my attention with this one.

How's this for a debut? Double Mountain Brewing, the brand-new brewpub in Hood River, brought two beers, and one was so good it blew Friday (Hop Lava). I can't imagine how good it must have been, because the beer left over on Saturday was extraordinary. Dubbed the IRA (I may henceforth call it Ira, because it has nothing to do with IPAs or Red ales), it is brewed with a Belgian yeast strain, which really removes it from the the classic character you'd expect from a muscular IPA. It has a kind of creamy sweetness that bouys the ample hops and simultaneously mellows out the palate. I am reminded of Duvel, which is also a huge, yet deceptively smooth beer. It will be familiar to fans of NW beers, but also quite distinctive.

Delightful (B+/A-)
Here's a brewery to watch: Crannog Ales from Sorrento, BC. Canada's only all-organic brewery also appears to be a spiritual sibling of Roots; not only are they exclusively organic, but they experiment with adjuncts like potatoes (see below), cherries, and flax. But of the two beers pouring, my fave was Backhand of God Stout (I prefer the former name, Black Wolfhound). It is a traditional Irish stout (appropriate for a Gaelic brewery), light, silky, and dry. As with the best Irish ales, the dry, coffeeish note is balanced by a dark-fruit sweetness that is drawn out at the final sip. No sooner is the beer slipping down the back of your throat than your hand is rising, reflexively, for another sip.

There were two buzz beers at the fest, Roots' stout and a saison by McMenamins (see both below). It is a testament to the increasing attention to beer that one of my picks was a different McMenamins' ale, Ryenoceros, from the Kennedy School. Rye is a dangerous grain--it can offer an unpleasant sharpness or a dreary sourness. But used properly, it imparts a spicy quality that is abundant in Ryenoceros. The malts and hops create a kind of continuum, from an earthy spice in the malt out to a more peppery hop finish. Yet I also noted down the word "springwater"--of the quality one finds in a good single malt.

The hosts knew they had to come out with something special, and it is possible that Roots' Habenero Stout is better than I'm giving it credit for. It was the last beer I tried, and due to the vagaries of beer fests, this meant my palate was a little wrecked. I can report that I heard raves about the beer all day long. What I was able to discern were striking contrasts in the beer. Built on a Irish stout base that was both creamy and sweet (they added chocolate nibs to the mash), the "dry hopped" peppers (added during fermentation) mainly add sensation, not flavor. Chocolate and chile is a famous combination, and I believe the Aztecs would have recognized this beer.

I tried Brouwerij 't IJ's Zatte first, and that was lucky--it was a very subtle tripel, and my palate was fresh to appreciate it. Unlike some tripels, this one was characterized by a chardonnay-like dryness of palate. Nevertheless, a rich skiff of head rode the taster through my last sip, despite the 8% alcohol. It was, moreover, surprisingly creamy for such a dry beer. The yeast character was subdued, contributing mainly a kind of cellary earthiness. I imagine it would be an ideal beer with a variety of foods, from the cheese tray through fish entrees. It was one of the few not on tap; my guess is you can find bottles around town.

Good and Tasty (B)
Christian Ettinger made his debut with Hopworks Urban Brewery IPA, a beer I think most people would have rated more highly than I did. When he was brewing at Laurelwood (which shared a booth with Hopworks at the fest), Ettinger made a minor specialty of beers with Amarillo and/or Ahtanum hops--both of which appear in this IPA. Hops react differently on the tongues of different tasters, and on mine, these have a slightly harsh, chemical signature. I believe I'm the exception. Beside this, though, it was an impressive debut: the hops were aggressive without overbearing the malt, which held up its end of the bargain. I would recommend it to anyone who loves Laurelwood's beers.

The McMenamins beer everyone raved about was Saison du Pass. My lovely spouse decried it as "too sweet" and "hollow in the middle." While I won't go that far, I don't think it was quite the buzz beer everyone claimed. It lacked the crispness I would have liked and didn't stand up to the world standard-bearers. On the other hand, it was nicely spicy and refreshing, and an impressive effort coming from the McBrothers. Probably likely to be the best thing on tap at Corneilius Pass, where it was brewed (hence the name).

In the exotica category, another offering came from Bison Brewing in Berkeley: Gingerbread Ale, a hearty sweet porter spiced mildly with ginger, nutmeg, and cinnamon (almost below the threshold of taste, though you could pick it up in the aroma). Not an everyday beer, but nice on a chill day. Continuing in the exotic vein, Crannog brought a potato ale called Hell's Kitchen that tasted distinctly (though not unpleasantly) of the common tubers. I occasionally drink a Polish beet drink that had a similar quality. Definitely worth a tipple if you have the chance.

A final curiosity was Mateveza's Yerba Mate Pale Ale. The basic beer was a nice recipe in the classic pale ale style, but the yerba mate added an unmistakeably medicinal note. It actually felt like it was anesthetizing my mouth. From a psychotropic perspective, even the four ounces I had altered the course of the usual narcotic sensation unfolding at the back of my brain. I suspect a pint would be an interesting ride.

Two other beers lost in the shuffle were Roots' East Side Abbey, about which I wrote one word (before, apparently, forgetting to write further notes): "Nice." Also Ukiah Brewing's pilsner, which got similar short shrift in my notes. (I seemed to enjoy it). You're on your own with those two.

Errata
Looking over my friend's notes, I find fragmentary documentation: "Ah, hop-o-licious. Big flavors--complex [unreadable] palate!" (Alamedo El Torero IPA) Actually, unreadability seems to be a hallmark. From what I can discern, these were the big winners:

• Butte Creek Revolution X Imperial IPA - "[Wow]!* I'm quite a few in, but this is definitely a big boy."
• Double Mountain Ira - "Damn, this is really good --> very, umm...full-bodied on the tongue."
• Fort George Quick Wit - "I like it."
• Hopworks IPA - "This is awesome, but I love hops."
• Roots Habenero Stout - "Excellent. Habeneros build at the back of your tongue."

Thanks, J!

And by all means, add your own thoughts in the comments.
__________________
*Profanity deleted.



Update: John Foyston has pics, and Belmont Station has a review. So does Rooftop Brew. More importantly, Belmont Station is attempting to locate some of the beers that were pouring at the fest, so keep your eyes open.

Review: Organic Beer Fest (1)

Yesterday's high temperature was 59, and it rained .4 inches in a steady drizzle from about 11 am through five or six in the afternoon-- perfectly coordinated to coincide with the second day of the Organic Beer Festival in Overlook Park. I dunno what the temperature was during that period, but it was cold enough that we could see our breath. Needless to say, the folks who showed up were serious beer fans. (In the picture at right, look closely and you can seethe rain coming down and the wee crowd beyond.) To those who looked out their windows and decided to go see Shrek 3 instead of braving the rain, you have my sympathy: you missed a hell of fest.

This was hands down the best fest of NW beers I've been to in years. In terms of overall consistency of beers, it may have been the best ever (even PIB, with its 200+ beers and dozen countries, always has a few losers in the bunch). This may have been due to a selection process--were the beers juried? More likely, it is a reflection of a particular moment in time: breweries don't lightly brew organic beers. Since they take special effort, it seems like breweries take special care with the recipes. We had habenero stouts, gingerbread browns, potato beers, and Belgian IPAs. And they weren't gimmick beers; they were serious and seriously good. (I'll go through the reviews in the next post.)

It is inevitable that this moment will not last. All trends revert to the mean. Eventually, if we're lucky, organic beer will become the norm, not the exception. And then we'll have the usual distribution of mediocre efforts and noble failures. But for now, and probably for the next couple-three years, seek out organic beers. And for the love of all that is pure and good (and hoppy), don't let the rain dissuade you next year.

Kids Okay at the Organic Beer Fest

This just in: a friend called the organizers and confirmed that kids are okay at the Organic Beer Fest. This in case you are, like me, planning on attending tomorrow. (I assume you've cracked this nut if you're already there.)

That is all...

The Virtues of Free Beer

Pyramid's Hefeweizen is a little more interesting than some other versions on the market--it's got the subtlest trace of the sour/tartness characteristic of the continental original and is nice and cloudy with yeast and wheat. But, truth be told, it's not anything to write home to Mom about. (It is styled an "American-style hefeweizen" by the brewery, and has won awards in this category. I find it more flavorful than others in this rather insipid style.)

However, as I was returning from a long day in Medford yesterday on Alaska (Horizon)--a twelve-hour round trip, not including commute times to the airport--the gracious flight attendant offered me a plastic cupful of the hef, gratis. She even came back by and offered me a refresher (I declined). It was slightly over-warm and the plastic cup did nothing to enhance the experience. Still, there's something about a free beer at the end of a long day that really hits the spot. Fred Eckhardt is famous for saying his favorite beer is the one he's drinking, and while I won't go that far, given the right circumstances, I see what he means.

Organic Beer Fest

Organic Beer Fest
Friday June 8 (3 - 9:30 pm)
Saturday June 9 (Noon - 9pm)
Overlook Park (Fremont and Interstate)

Admission is free, $5 for a mug (a dollar off if you show a Tri-met ticket or bring a can for the Oregon Food Bank). A 4-oz taster is a dollar.

For the first time in over a decade, I self-consciously decided to skip the Spring Beer Fest. There has been an ever-growing tendency by that fest to include random vendors (last year's review here). At first it expanded to vintners (fine), then to some vendors more or less distantly connected to food (eh), then to random peddlers (bad), then to guys who sold vinyl windows (very bad). So I blew it off.

There arrives this year the third installation of a new beerfest that I expect to jump in the hole left by the SBF in my four-season calendar (in Oregon, Spring runs through June): The North American Organic Brewers Festival. It is headed by the boys of Roots, which is a good start, and it includes 25 breweries and 40 beers (even better), and will be held this year in the beautiful Overlook Park (hot damn). I anticipate a rocking good time. Keeping in mind that I rarely am a bandwagon promoter, I regard this as the most interesting beer event this year, and a definite must-see.

Normally, I would offer a preview of the beers here, but I have tried exactly three of them. This is mainly because organic beer is yet hard to brew. Organic hops and malt are specialty items, so most breweries (Roots, Fish Tale, and Wolaver's excepted) don't have regular organic offerings. So you get things like Deschutes Organic Carbonic Red (5.2% abv 44 IBUs). There will also be an appearance of a beer from Christian Ettinger's as-yet unopened new brewery (Hopworks Urban Brewery).

In fact, it is festivals like this that create the interest in, and subsequent market for, organic beers. It's by no means a totally obscure market, and the more brewers ask for organic malt and hops, the more growers will devote acreage to it. So by attending this fest, you help the cause of organics (and also Oregon Tilth, Oregon Food Bank, Doernbecher Children's Hospital, who will receive some of the proceeds.)

The link above is to John Foyston's post, and he has a more detailed summary of the event. I'll include a short list of the interesting-looking beers I'm hepped up for (no promises!). For more, check his site out (it's better than the official site). And plan to set aside an afternoon. See you there!

A Few Interesting-Looking Beers

• Crannog Ales (British Columbia) - Backhand of God Stout
• Deschutes Brewery - Organic Carbonic Red Ale
• Elliot Bay Brewing Co. (Seattle) - Klondike Gold Belgian IPA
• Fort George Brewery (Astoria) - Quick Wit Belgian White Ale
• Hopworks Urban Brewery ( Portland) - Hopworks Organic IPA
• Lakefront Brewery (Milwaukee, WI) - Organic ESB
• Brouwerij 't IJ (Netherlands) - Natte, Zatte [both are 2 tickets]

Pub Photos

I have added a set to my Flickr account containing grainy, sort of crappy cell phone photos of the pubs I have been to recently. They include ones I've used in reviews of other pubs as well as these new ones from a recent visit to the Chapel Pub--newest in the McMenamins' chain, and new home to their office.

At some point soon I'm going to pick up a digital cam and the quality should improve markedly, though I actually think there's something charming about the low-res quality of cell-phone photos. On mine (an older Razr), it tends to really wash out at the edges. Reminds me of a Super 8 movie I shot when I was younger--the crudeness added some visual interest. Anyway, here's the Chapel Pub:







That last one is an especially bad shot, and I normally would flush something of that quality, but you get a sense of the artisinal light fixtures they have there, suggestive of the whimsy and attention to detail for which the McBrothers are rightly praised.